How a fatal bow-and-arrow attack led to an hourslong standoff with police and a house engulfed in flames

By Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — A man who fatally shot another man with a bow and arrow in a New Jersey suburb was arrested Sunday, after an hourslong standoff with police as he barricaded himself inside a house he eventually set on fire, CNN affiliates WABC and WCBS reported.

The scene unfolded Saturday evening around 7 p.m. when a man – who has not been identified – collapsed with an arrow in his back in Kearny, New Jersey, a suburb of Newark, according to WABC.

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office said the man was found dead after being struck by a sharp object and that the suspect, who also has not been identified, barricaded himself in a home, WCBS said.

Over the following hours, into early Sunday, a tense standoff ensued as Hudson County SWAT teams – with drawn guns pointed at the house – repeatedly ordered the suspect to exit, as sirens blared through the neighborhood and residents were awoken to evacuate.

“I heard the guy yelling out, ‘I can’t come out!’ or ‘I can’t do that!’ and then they were like ‘Come out. We’re here to help you,’” witness Rebecca Szymanski told WCBS.

One resident, Ana Cristina Pacheco, told WABC it was around 5 a.m. on Sunday morning when she noticed the fire and SWAT teams.

Some neighbors were told to stay inside while others were evacuated and taken to shelter in a nearby church, WCBS and WABC reported.

“I see a lot of fire engines, police, SWAT, some hummer with a gun,” evacuated resident Neeraj Yadav told WCBS. “I come outside with my kids and I was told to run back in the house, so that’s what I did.”

As SWAT teams negotiated the suspect’s exit, firefighters worked to douse the flames as the home became engulfed by the blaze.

More than 12 hours after the fatal attack, the suspect eventually surrendered, walking out of the home Sunday afternoon. The man, armed with knives, was taken into custody.

It’s unclear what exactly led to the deadly bow-and-arrow attack. The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office is continuing to investigate.

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to charge the suspect on Monday, WABC reported.

CNN has reached out to Kearny police, Kearny Fire Department and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for comment.

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